V. I. Lenin

Two Recorded Speeches[1]

Recorded:end of March, 1920First Published:No. 1: Recorded at the end of March 1920; First published in Pravda No. 18, January 21, 1928; Published according to the gramophone record; No. 2: Recorded at the end of March 1920; First published inPravdaNo. 18, January 21, 1928; Published according to the gramophone recordSource:Lenin’sCollected Works, 4th English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965, Volume 30, page 435-439Translated:George HannaTranscription/HTML Markup:David Walters & Robert CymbalaCopyleft:V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marx.org) 2002. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of theGNU Free Documentation License

Work For The Railways

Comrades, the great victories of the Red Army have
    delivered us from the onslaught of Koichak and Yudenich and have
    almost put an end to Denikin.

The troops of the landowners and capitalists who wanted, with
    the aid of the capitalists of the whole world, to re-establish
    their rule in Russia have been routed.

The imperialist war and then the war against
    counter-revolution, however, have laid waste to and ruined the
    entire country.

We must bend all efforts to conquer the chaos, to restore
    industry and agriculture, and to give the peasants the goods they
    need in exchange for grain.

Now that we have defeated the landowners and liberated Siberia,
    the Ukraine, and the North Caucasus, we have every opportunity of
    restoring the country's economy.

We have a lot of grain, and we now have coal and oil. We are
    being held up by transport. The railways are out of
    action. Transport must be rehabilitated. Then we can bring grain,
    coal and oil to the factories, then we can deliver salt, then we
    shall begin to restore industry and put an end to the hunger of
    the factory and railway workers.

Let all workers and peasants set about rehabilitating the
    railways, let them set about the work with persistence and
    enthusiasm.

All the work necessary for the restoration of transport must be
    carried out with the greatest zeal, with revolution-ary fervour,
    with unreserved loyalty.

We have been victorious on the front of
      the bloody war.

We shall be victorious on the bloodless front, on the labour
    front.

All out for work to restore transport!

Labour Discipline

Why was it we defeated Yudenirh, Kolehak and Denikin although
    the capitalists of all the world helped them?

Why are we confident that we shall now defeat the economic
    chaos and rehabilitate industry and agriculture?

We overthrew the landowners and capitalists because the men of
    the Red Army, workers and peasants, knew they were fighting for
    their own vital interests.

We won because the best people from the entire working class
    and from the entire peasantry displayed unparalleled heroism in
    the war against the exploiters, performed miracles of valour,
    withstood untold privations, made great sacrifices and got rid of
    scroungers and cowards.

We are now confident that we shall conquer the chaos because
    the best people from the entire working class and from the entire
    peasantry are joining this struggle with the same political
    consciousness, the same firmness and the same heroism.

When millions of working people unite as one and follow the
    best people from their class, victory is assured.

We drove the scroungers out of the army. And now we say,
    “Down with the scroungers, down with those who think of
    their own advantage, of speculation and of shirking work, those
    who are afraid of the sacrifices necessary for victory!”

Long live labour discipline, zeal in work and loyalty to the
    cause of the workers and peasants!

Eternal glory to those who died in the front ranks of the Red
    Army!

Eternal glory to those who are now leading millions of
      working people and who with the greatest zeal march in the front
      ranks of the army of labour!

[1]The recording of Lenin's speeches was organised by the Central
    Press Agency. In 1919-21, 16 of his speeches were
    recorded. Gramophone records with his speeches were distributed in
    tens of thousands at agitation centres, peasant meetings, clubs,
    Red Army units and were of tremendous significance for mass
    agitation work. Particularly popular were his speeches “The
    Middle Peasants”, “What Is Soviet Power?” and
    “The Tax in Kind”.